No abstract available.
Heel* ; Molluscum Contagiosum* ; Weight-Bearing* ; Zea mays

No abstract available.

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine which factors influence the ability of abdominal ultrasonography (US) to detect focal pancreatic lesions identified using endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). Methods: In this study, 338 consecutive patients with focal pancreatic lesions (cyst, n=253; adenocarcinoma, n=54; pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, n=24; solid pseudopapillary neoplasm, n=4; intrapancreatic accessory spleen, n=1; metastasis, n=1; and lymphoma, n=1) detected by EUS who underwent US were enrolled. We reviewed their radiologic reports and assessed the presence or absence of a focal lesion, the multiplicity of the lesions, and their size and location on US. We evaluated how these parameters differed depending on whether the lesion was solid or cystic. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. Results: The overall detection rate of focal pancreatic lesions by US was 61.5% (208 of 338). Using US, the detection rate of cystic lesions was 58.5% (148 of 253), while that of solid lesions was 70.6% (60 of 85). In the univariate analysis, location in the neck or body, solid characteristics, and a relatively large size (15.50±10.08 mm vs. 23.09±12.93 mm) were associated with a significantly higher detection rate (P<0.001, P=0.047, and P<0.001, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, location in the neck or body (odds ratio [OR], 3.238; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.926 to 5.443; P<0.001) and size (OR, 1.070; 95% CI, 1.044 to 1.096; P<0.001) were proven to be significant predictors of detectability (P<0.001). Conclusion US is useful for detecting focal pancreatic lesions, especially when they are located in the neck or body and are relatively large.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A population-based door-to-door study of cross-sectional methods for assessing the prevalence and factors related to a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was conducted using the Korean version of the Berlin Questionnaire (K-BQ). METHODS: Pooled data collected from Community Health Surveys by the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention were analyzed. Of 8,140 respondents from the population, 7,955 were finally included in this study. RESULTS: Of the 7,955 included subjects, 15.7% of the men and 9.8% of the women were at high risk of OSA. Significant differences were found in the following factors between the subjects with a high risk of OSA: gender, age, marital status, educational level, occupation, and presence of smoking, harmful alcohol use, and chronic diseases. Male sex, harmful alcohol use, and the presence of chronic diseases were identified as factors independently associated with a high risk of OSA. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to confirm the usefulness of the K-BQ to study the prevalence of OSA in the Korean general population. The findings demonstrate that harmful alcohol use and chronic diseases are very common characteristics among those with a high risk of OSA.
Berlin ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Chronic Disease ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Marital Status ; Methods ; Occupations ; Prevalence* ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The goals of cranioplasty are to protect the brain from trauma and restore normal cranial contour with as few complication as possible. In patient who suffered from cranial defect, the most satisfactory form of cranioplasty may be archived with autogenous bone grafts. We report on the treatment of large frontal bone defect using pericranial flap and split-rib graft. METHODS: A 29-year-old male was referred to our department. He was involved in an automobile accident resulting in large frontal bone and sinus defect and skull basal defect. The reconstruction was undertaken using galeal frontalis myofascial flap and split-rib cranioplasty using bicoronal incision. RESULTS: The postoperative course was successful. For 9 months follow up period, there was no complication about hematoma, infection, CSF leakage and washboard deformity. He was pleased with the results even when absolute symmetry was not achieved. CONCLUSION: We experienced large frontal bone and sinus defect and skull basal defect patient and successfully treated with split-rib graft and galeal frontalis myofascial flap.
Adult ; Automobiles ; Brain ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Frontal Bone ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Male ; Skull ; Transplants

BACKGROUND/AIM: Nitric oxide (NO), the nonadrenergic, noncholinergic inhibitory neurotransmitter, plays a role in controlling esophageal motor function by causing guanosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) accumulation in circular smooth muscle of the esophagus and lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Increase in the intracellular concentration of cGMP as a second messenger produces relaxation of smooth muscle. It is metabolized by phosphodiesterase (PDE). Sildenafil, a drug used to improve the functional impotence, shows an inhibitory effect on the smooth muscle cells of the human corpus cavernosum by blocking type V PDE that destroys cGMP. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sildenafil on the esophageal motility. METHODS: Eight male subjects without any evidence of esophageal motor dysfunction were enrolled in this study. On first day, 20 ml of distilled water (placebo) was infused into the stomach. On second day, 0.8 mg/kg of sildenafil powder dissolved in water was infused into the stomach. We measured the amplitude of esophageal body contractions and LES pressure at each day. In addition, plasma cGMP levels were assayed by ELISA method. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in esophageal manometric findings in the placebo group, but significant decreases in LES pressure as well as amplitude of peristaltic contractions at smooth muscle portion of esophagus were noted in sildenafil group. Sildenafil showed its maximum effect in lowering LES pressure on 30 minutes after ingestion, and also in decreasing the amplitude of peristaltic contractions at smooth muscle portion of esophagus on 15 minutes after ingestion. There was no difference in the propagation velocity of peristalsis and plasma cGMP levels after sildenafil treatment. CONCLUSION: Sildenafil showed inhibitory effects on smooth muscle of esophageal body and LES in human.
Eating ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Esophageal Sphincter, Lower ; Esophagus ; Guanosine ; Healthy Volunteers* ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Nitric Oxide ; Peristalsis ; Plasma ; Relaxation ; Second Messenger Systems ; Stomach ; Water ; Sildenafil Citrate

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of a rectal enema on interfraction prostate movement in bone alignment (BA) for prostate radiotherapy (RT), we analyzed the spatial difference in prostates in a bone-matched setup. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed BA retrospectively with data from prostate cancer patients who underwent image-guided RT (IGRT). The prostate was identified with implanted fiducial markers. The setup for the IGRT was conducted with the matching of three fiducial markers on RT planning computed tomography images and those on two oblique kV x-ray images. Offline BA was performed at the same position. The coordinates of a virtual prostate in BA and a real prostate were obtained by use of the ExaxTrac/NovalisBody system, and the distance between them was calculated as the spatial difference. Interfraction prostate displacement was drawn from the comparison of the spatial differences. RESULTS: A total of 15 patients with localized prostate cancer treated with curative hypofractionated IGRT were enrolled. A total of 420 fractions were analyzed. The mean of the interfraction prostate displacements after BA was 3.12+/-2.00 mm (range, 0.20-10.53 mm). The directional difference was profound in the anterior-posterior and supero-inferior directions (2.14+/-1.73 mm and 1.97+/-1.44 mm, respectively) compared with the right-left direction (0.26+/-0.22 mm, p<0.05). The required margin around the clinical target volume was 4.97 mm with the formula of van Herk et al. CONCLUSIONS: The interfraction prostate displacement was less frequent when a rectal enema was performed before the procedure. A rectal enema can be used to reduce interfraction prostate displacement and resulting clinical target volume-to-planning target volume margin.
Enema* ; Fiducial Markers ; Humans ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans

Cavernous hemangiomas are rarely found in the adrenal gland. Most of the tumors are nonfunctioning, and the patients present with no clinical symptoms. Although rare, the presence of adrenal hemangiomas should be kept in mind in the differential diagnoses of adrenal tumors. We report a case of an adrenal cavernous hemangioma that was removed by laparoscopic adrenalectomy in a 71-year-old female patient. The chief complaint was right flank pain. The patient was pathologically diagnosed as a having a cavernous hemangioma of the adrenal glands.
Female ; Humans ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hemangioma

BACKGROUND: Self-monitoring of blood glucose levels is recommended for all diabetic patients who receive insulin treatment, because such monitoring of glucose levels may aid in achieving better control in type II diabetes. Further, the use of point-of-care (POC) blood glucose testing in hospitals has increased substantially. In the present study, we validated the performance of ACCU-CHEK(R) Inform II Blood Glucose Meter and ACCU-CHEK(R) Performa Strip (Roche Diagnostics, Germany). METHODS: We evaluated the precision, accuracy, and maltose interference of the ACCU-CHEK(R) Inform II Blood Glucose Meter and ACCU-CHEK(R) Performa Strip. Further, precision was evaluated using dedicated quality control (QC) and Bio-Rad Whole Blood (WB) QC materials (Meter Trax(TM) Control; Bio-Rad, USA). Forty samples were used to compare the results obtained using the ACCU-CHEK(R) Inform II Blood Glucose Meter and ACCU-CHEK(R) Performa Strip with those obtained using the clinical chemistry analyzer Hitachi 7600 (Hitachi, Japan). Maltose interference was assessed at 2 glucose concentration levels at 3 maltose concentration levels. RESULTS: For each concentration level of control materials, within-run coefficient of variation (CV) and total CV obtained were less than 5%. Good correlation was obtained using the Hitachi 7600 (y = 1.02x - 0.18; r 2 = 0.996; N = 40). Effects of maltose interference were less than 10%. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the ACCU-CHEK(R) systems show good precision and correlation with the routine clinical chemistry analyzer and allow only minimal effects of maltose interference.
Blood Glucose ; Chemistry, Clinical ; Glucose ; Humans ; Insulin ; Maltose ; Quality Control